The Other Side of the World

About the Book

Set in the tumultuous year of 1968, this factual account reflects the first-hand experiences of a naïve young man who was thrust from a sheltered life provided by middle-class parents to the atrocities of war-torn Vietnam. Sent overseas at the youthful age of twenty and only sixteen days after marrying his sweetheart, the author captures his fear, anxiety, and apprehensions of being in a hostile environment along with the additional burden of being separated from his bride during their first year of marriage. Indeed, the bulk of the information for the memoir was extracted from over 300 hand-written letters mailed to his new wife. Punctuated with appropriate humor, the memoir also relates the unexpected and heart-warming association that developed between himself and his Vietnamese mamason who toiled with daily chores yet managed to raise a family. The memoir was written solely through the eyes of a junior-grade Air Force enlisted serviceman. The account is void of any political statements and doesn’t explore nor mention battle strategies or decisions by military commanders. It simply states what happened without critique.

About the Author

Originally from Atlanta, Ga, Dean Moss and his wife Barbara relocated to Maryville, Tennessee in 1977, the result of a job transfer with the Federal Aviation Administration. There they raised their two sons, Scott and David. Dean became involved in several volunteer community programs and church related activities such as Little League Baseball, missionary trips to Haiti and Africa, and Turkeys in the Straw – a musical group that performs at retirement homes and assisted living centers. Most recently, he became president of the Community Food Connection – an organization that distributes food to needy families. Perhaps Dean’s most fervent passion (other than his grandchildren) is Scouting. He has served as a Scoutmaster since 1985 during which time he led scout troops to the National Jamboree three times, served as course director for Wood Badge, and was awarded the prestigious Silver Beaver recognition. Both of his sons are Eagle Scouts and he has personally awarded forty-two Eagles thus far during his time as Scoutmaster. He is now retired from the Federal Aviation Administration after thirty-seven years as a systems specialist for electronic navigational systems. He enjoys reading, writing, gardening, woodworking, music, astronomy, and spoiling his five grandchildren.